Malaysian plan a bridge too far

June 4, 2011 — 12.00am

Undeniably, the federal parliamentary Labor Party has become the blight rather than the light on the hill with its heartless, so-called Malaysian solution for asylum seekers (''No guarantees on Malaysia refugee swap deal'', June 3). And with the likelihood that it may not release details of the finished deal, it has made secrecy a synonym for ''transparency".

The Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, became a breathless Mr B on television on Wednesday, such as he had in Parliament earlier in the week, unleashing a torrent of words simply hoping to drown out real inquiry.

Sending unaccompanied vulnerable children, especially young girls, from Australia into Malaysian camps is a step too far, one the Australian people will not, could not, tolerate.

One must hope that there is surely at least one federal Labor MP with sufficient spine to move to the crossbenches as an independent Labor parliamentarian as a warning to the Gillard government that while legislation is not needed to push such a horrendous policy into reality, one member's willingness to make a stand for principle on this issue would be enough to kill it.

Advertisement

To use a Labor slogan, it's time.

Brian Haill Frankston (Vic)

All too silent on human rights

Throughout last year the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, refused to use the offshore processing centre on Nauru because Nauru is not a signatory to the UN Convention on Refugees. Today Gillard negotiates to transfer hundreds of refugees to a prison on Malaysia - also not a signatory to the UN Convention on Refugees. Moreover, Malaysia wants to excise all words about human rights from the agreement.

Our government plans to dump 800 tragic souls into unconscionable conditions and wash our hands of them; out of sight, out of mind, while we remain relaxed and comfortable.

The UNHCR is gravely concerned about Malaysia's reputation for treating asylum seekers harshly.

We of the relaxed-and-comfortable persuasion remain sickeningly silent while our government and opposition bat around humans like they were ping-pong balls. Both parties have sold the soul of Australia to the devil.

Without our luck of birth and opportunity we, too, could be queuing for boats. Such bastardry by my adopted country; it's a shame to be Australian.

Judy Bamberger O'Connor (ACT)

Refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia are classified as illegal immigrants and may be mistreated, even caned. If the government's current plan for a one-for-five swap with Malaysia comes to fruition there will be 3200 fewer men, women and children in Malaysia subject to these conditions. Would that be bad?

Media attention will be focused on Malaysia to see how the 800, and others, are treated. Will that be bad?

The agreement may prove to be the first stage of a regional agreement to more properly handle the region's asylum seeker/refugee problem. Again, a bad thing or not?

Knee-jerk reactions are not always the best response.

Ross Leonard Hamilton

Livestock to Indonesia. ''Human livestock'' to Malaysia.

Advance Australia fair?

Anne Paull Long Jetty

Public outrage over animal cruelty has not overtaken human rights (Letters, June 2).

The difference in this issue is that potential refugees are fully aware of the dangers they face and the uncertainty of having their application for refugee status approved before they try to enter Australia illegally.

The animals we saw being brutally mistreated had no option but to face a cruel and painful death without recourse to appeals or help from anyone. A stark difference. That is the reason for the outrage.

Jim Collins Green Point

Now that he's packing refugee children off to Malaysia, will the Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, be changing his name by deed poll to Philip Ruddock?

Thos Puckett Ashgrove

Italy has had 40,000 refugees arrive by boat since May.

It both puts our trickle of boat arrivals into perspective as well as our mean-spirited and inhumane response.

John Truman Chatswood

It's a positive disgrace to let negative gearing continue

Once again we see the folly of negative gearing exposed by people who know (''Negative gearing unhealthy, says ANZ boss'', June 3).

Like many before him, Phil Chronican hits the nail on the head when he says that the current negative gearing regime is economically unhealthy.

Despite the bleating of the real estate lobby, every worthwhile study done in the past 20 years has demonstrated, with the Henry review the latest, that negative gearing does little if anything to either increase the availability of rental property or make housing more affordable. In fact the evidence suggests it does the opposite, making property more unaffordable as speculators chase limited stock and push younger home buyers out of the market.

Unfortunately, none of the mainstream parties are willing to tackle this massive tax rort so our children will continue to struggle to find reasonably priced homes into the future. Greed coupled with self interest wins again.

Greg Loder Springwood

When a banker admits that residential negative gearing is unhealthy, it's a sign that reform is long overdue. The traditional riposte is that government should not interfere in the investment choices of its citizens, and that negative gearing increases the supply of housing. The moral truth is that housing is for human shelter, comfort and a sense of place.

The fact is that most negative gearing is applied to existing dwellings, and that investors enjoy tax-fuelled advantage over mere humans seeking a home.

Further, it pushes up the price of housing, reducing households' disposable income that is so desperately needed by other parts of the economy. These tax breaks on existing dwellings should be eliminated once and for all, with market shocks avoided by a gradual phase-out of deductibility over a period of several years.

David Cumming Chatswood West

Good old capitalism

Good grief Chris Smith, where have you been while your country has struggled with so many intractable problems? (Letters, June 3).

Who would have thought, capitalism and its associated property rights will instantly solve the problem of dispossessed Aborigines.

Could have saved a lot of time and money in the so-called NT intervention alone if we had sent a couple of likely entrepreneurs like Michael Marquette and Simon Turner north instead (''Masters of the universe come crashing back to earth'', June 3).

Keep up the good work. Global warming and the Arab spring next?

Don Smith Ashfield

Bet on greed, if you want a sure thing

While listening to the radio I heard the Sports Minister announce new legislation to provide draconian penalties for match fixing in sport (''Match fixers face 10 years in the sin bin under new sporting code'', June 3.) I find it obvious that when there is gambling there will be someone who will try to beat the odds. However long the imprisonment, there will be someone who will risk it.

If our society encourages gambling on everything that moves - and online - then there will be consequences: more match fixing, more weak people tempted to ruin and greedy people cleaning up.

Edmund Perrin Old Toongabbie

If Mark Arbib and his mates are really serious about cleaning up shonky sports results they should seek the assistance of Sepp Blatter. Nobody knows how to fix something better.

Bill Carpenter Bowral

Scientists have duty to tell it like it is

The remarks attributed to the state government whip Peter Phelps suggest he has a very selective reading of history in his global attribution of totalitarian/nazi tendencies to scientists (''Upper house whip under fire for Nazi slur on scientists'', June 3).

He might acknowledge, for example, that the Nazis were a democratically-elected, extreme-right populist party who murdered, or forced into exile, large numbers of scientists. He might recall that Stalin's rejection of evidence-based genetics condemned legitimate scientists to the gulag and led to massive starvation in the Soviet Union. He might also reflect on the fact that a group of seismologists has recently been indicted in Italy for failing to give adequate warning about a major earthquake.

Publicly funded researchers, and that includes pretty much all climate scientists, have an absolute obligation to inform both the community and political leaders when they find evidence of changes that could potentially compromise human well-being and civil society.

The scientists I know value living in a pluralist democracy and just want to get on with running their research operations, not the country.

But, so long as they have major concerns, they have to speak up and, as best they can, put the evidence in front of political leaders and the broader Australian community.

Peter Doherty Nobel laureate 1996, University of Melbourne

It doesn't take rocket science. Conversely, Tony Letford, one could argue that man's use of science has created many of the world's problems (Letters, June 3). Take man's contribution to global warming and nuclear disasters for starters.

Keith Dyson-Smith Moss Vale

Polluters pay

That's exactly what the carbon tax is Lionel Latoszek, a tax on the polluters, nobody else (Letters, June 2).

Peggy Fisher Killara

Will our night tennis comp fees go up to cover the carbon tax on the power we consume? Can someone get John Hewson to explain this new tax? Or should we convert to solar?

Scott Machon Forster

Obviously Perth radio jock Howard Sattler has no idea who he is dealing with when he attacks Cate Blanchett (Diary, June 3). Detractors should realise her other job is as the Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien, ''the mightiest and fairest of all the elves that remained in middle-earth''. Not really one to tangle with.

John Pollard Surry Hills

Living in the past

One can only thank god Tony Abbott and his fellow negatives were not around when the Wright brothers took their first flight at Kitty Hawk.

If they were there is every possibility we would still be dreaming of the air travel we enjoy today.

The horse and cart would still be the main means of transport and the carrier pigeon our communications mode.

Dallas Fraser Mudgeeraba (Qld)

To counter the Labor Party reliance on past leaders such as Bob Hawke (Diary, June 3), it would be good to see Tony Abbott appear with John Howard on climate change or Malcolm Fraser on refugee policy.

Ian Muldoon Coffs Harbour

Penny's worth

David Howard, Penny Wong is actually a Christian, not an atheist. The rest of your letter is spot on, though (Letters, June 3).

Louise O'Rance Watson (ACT)

I agree Penny Wong does make a good role model. However, unfortunately for David Howard, she doesn't fit his neat list of desirable attributes; she isn't an atheist, but a Christian. Penny Wong is a rare example of someone in public life who resists conforming to categories of identity, sexuality and belief. I hope that Penny Wong can continue the good fight, but in a society that prefers consonance to dissonance, this will always be a challenge.

Christopher Mayes Summer Hill

So apparently remarks such as ''a dog returning to its own vomit'', ''a shiver looking for a spine to run up'', ''scumbag'', ''feral abacus'' and ''I want to do you slowly'' are deemed entertaining when exchanged among blokes.

But should a female parliamentarian receive something so benign as a ''miaow'', the outrage from the sisterhood can be heard all over the country.

Ladies, if you want to sup at the men's table, be prepared for some fare a little more robust than fairy floss. That is, if you want to be taken seriously. You're running the country, not attending to a cake stall.

Peter Maresch Lane Cove

Curious justice

A woman who blew the whistle on the disgraced state MP Milton Orkopoulos is awarded $440,000 compensation on the same day a 69-year-old deaf mute male in WA is awarded $425,000 for spending 15 years in jail for the wrongful murder conviction of the socialite Jillian Brewer (''There's more to reveal, says Orkopoulos whistleblower'', June 3).

It is a disgrace that the justice system has valued the hurt feelings of a whistleblower above the long-term deprivation of liberty and abuse of human rights of an innocent man whose life has been destroyed.

The justice system has got its priorities wrong in these two cases.

John Bell Lyneham (ACT)

Children sheltered

The Australian Christian Lobby also lobbies against other sexualised ads, including the ones depicting half-naked women (''Adshel debacle revs up debate about outdoor standards'', June 3). They want all sexualised ads removed from where children can see them. The only difference is, Adshel listened to this complaint.

Janis Donnelly-Coode Penrith

Toads of fun

Elizabeth Farrelly's father and I had similar ''laugh-triggers'' (''This beast isn't going anywhere'', June 3). When Cane Toads: An Unnatural History was released, I could only find it in an obscure art cinema in Brisbane where I was one of three patrons one of whom left, halfway through, disturbed by my hysterical laughter during a ''documentary''. To my shame I later videotaped a copy, which I still have and occasionally watch, when it was shown on the ABC (apologies to Mark Lewis - if it is available on DVD, I will happily buy a copy).

In honour of Ms Farrelly's father and Mark Lewis, I intend to seek out Cane Toads: The Conquest where, hopefully, a sense of humour will again prevail.

Eat, mate and colonise.

Lee Godfrey Biggera Waters (Qld)

Phoning in reactions on brain cancer

Allan Gibson, of Wahroonga, in response to the World Health Organisation warning about excessive mobile phone use and brain cancer, says that he awaits the reaction of Alan Jones, Ray Hadley and Tony Abbott (Letters, June 2). I think they are probably on their mobiles to each other as we speak.

Murray Howlett Regents Park

Mobile phones may cause brain cancer. I knew having no life and no friends would pay off eventually.

Glenn Holmes Katoomba

Beyond the border

Next month, after all the Borders bookshops are closed, will those shopping centres in which they were located be able to advertise themselves as the ''malls without Borders''?

Allan Rodd Tennyson Point

Napoleonic bore

John Kimpton's letter yesterday about Huguette Clark reminds me of a story I heard about Bertrand Russell (1872-1970).

Both Russell's parents died at an early age and he was placed in the care of his grandparents; his grandmother met and actually danced with Napoleon Bonaparte. In later life Russell asked his grandmother what Napoleon was like and she replied that he was ''a dreadful man. Simply dreadful.''

I do not think there would have been too many people alive in the latter part of the 20th century who could have claimed that sort of personal connection.

Robin McConville Sandringham

Stop the rot

That's it. The connection between Coca-Cola and Christianity is that they've both been ''marketed'' as ''the real thing'' (Letters, June 3). And the real thing is: Coke rots your teeth, and Christianity might do something similar to your mind. Better to celebrate life, here and now in the real world - with some fine French champagne.

Robyn Dalziell Castle Hill

It's logical

This letter is for those who say sudoku is mathematical (Letters, June 3).

Steve Elliott, how can I use combinatorics and integral calculus to solve a sudoku puzzle?

Margaret Grove, being logical and deductive does not necessarily mean being mathematical, as any philosopher can explain to you.

Dmitry Titkov, what pattern is there in knowing which numbers I have used and which ones I have not?

Sudoku appeals to those with a logical mind, a subset of which is those with a mathematical mind. For mathematicians to claim sudoku as their own just doesn't add up.